Are you looking for a way to strengthen your golf muscles? Do you want to add some extra distance to your golf game? Well, I have something that might interest you. The Extra 20 Yards is a golf specific at-home work out system designed to build up all of the muscles you use in your golf swing without having to spend countless hours at the gym. And the entire system costs the same price as a new driver and less than the cost of an annual gym membership.

The latest evolution in golf fitness equipment, The Extra 20 Yards® allows golfers to increase distance from the tee with just minutes of exercise per day. The Extra 20 Yards® is a patented high quality golf fitness machine that replicates the golf swing, and builds muscles that create club head speed, allowing you to hit the ball further. If you are you looking to improve golf fitness without spending hours in the gym, then The Extra 20 Yards® is for you.

The setup and installation of the Extra 20 Yards was fairly straightforward (you put the square in the square hole and the circle in the circle hole). The hardest part was trying to figure out where to put it. You’ll need an area (either inside or outside) with at least an eight foot ceiling and about 10 feet of ground space (five feet on either side) so you can operate the system freely. The nice thing about The Extra 20 Yards is once you get it installed, it's discreet and it looks nice so you won't have to worry about trying to hide it in the basement.

The system arrives in a 60 pound box equipped with the pulley you attach to the wall, the weights you rest at the base of the wall and six metal poles you screw together to connect the pulley to the weights. You will need to purchase the appropriate size screws, wall anchors and washers to fix the pulley to the top of the wall. You could install The Extra 20 Yards yourself, but I would recommend enlisting the help of a friend because it makes it easier and faster.

Experience

The Extra 20 Yards says you only need to spend five minutes, three days a week and you can start seeing results in as little as two weeks. I can manage that! I used the system for a few weeks and I started week one just replicating my golf swing with the weight on the lowest level. As directed, I spent approximately five minutes Monday, Wednesday and Friday strengthening my golf swing. In week two, I upped the weight for the first exercise and added a second exercise that we'll call the "hands release". Instead of starting at the top of my back swing, I lowered my hands to about waist high and just focused on releasing my hands through impact. For the third and fourth weeks, I upped the weight for the first two exercises and added a third exercise to my workout routine - the "one handed swing". Instead of using both hands, I reduced the weight and worked out each arm separately. By the end of the fourth week, I was spending approximately 10 minutes using The Extra 20 Yards (on Monday, Wednesday and Friday).

I had a chance to speak with the creator of The Extra 20 Yards and asked him why the system did not include a couple attachments so golfers could workout other muscle groups (e.g. biceps, triceps). My thinking was more golfers would be drawn to a system that provided a more holistic workout. He thanked me for the suggestion and explained the reason the system does not include any attachments is because the weights are calibrated to provide optimal strength development for your golf muscles. In order to use the system to build strength in your triceps or biceps, you would need more weight than The Extra 20 Yards provides. I will say, even though the system does not include any accessories for additional exercises, I improvised with the golf handle and did some tricep pull downs and one handed cable cross overs. So it is possible to still do some other basic exercises in its current form.

Overall

So, the question I’m sure you’re all waiting to hear the answer to: did it add an extra 20 yards to my drive? Unfortunately, no. So much goes into your golf swing that while having a strong core is good, it doesn’t guarantee you’ll hit it farther. Alas, I’m not sure I can blame The Extra 20 Yards for not getting my average tee shot distance to the level of a PGA Tour player. I did notice a small improvement to my core strength, which in reality is what the system is designed to do. Now, if I can just figure out the golf swing ...

Using the patented oobgolf Rating Key, I give The Extra 20 Yards a 7.4. If you’re looking for a golf specific at-home work out system, then I would recommend the Extra 20 Yards. It’s easy to use and it targets all of the muscles you use during your golf swing. But, if you’re more interested in an all around at-home work out system, you might consider something else. I know the creator of The Extra 20 Yards said it's not designed to be an all around work out system, but I really think having the ability to do some tricep, bicep and chest exercises, along with the core exercises, would give the system a broader appeal.

RPJacobsII says:$365?...$365?...What's more amazing than that price is that this product/company survived long enough for you to do the review...$365?...Fairways & Greens 4ever...

1/18/12

preny says:Distance comes from mobility and stability, not gimmicky isolation machines. You could work out with bodyweight alone and be way better off than toying with this junk. This would be a joke even at $3.65